Showing all artists born at New York

Nafisa Rizvi Khan (also known as Jiah Khan, 20 February 1988 – 3 June 2013) was an British American actress, model and singer who appeared in Hindi films.  She made her film debut in the 2007 Ram Gopal Verma film Nishabd for which she was nominated for Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut. She was later noted for portraying a modern, independent woman in Ghajini which was the highest-grossing Bollywood films of 2008. Her performance in the latter earned her significant acclaim. She last appeared in Sajid Khan's romantic comedy Housefull, which was her second highest-grossing Bollywood films of 2010. Khan had catapulting herself into the Bollywood 100 Crore Club with Ghajini and Housefull.

On June 4, 2013, she was found dead in her apartment in her residence in the Sagar Sangeet building in Juhu, Mumbai after hanging herself.

Khan was born into a Muslim family in New York City.  She was the daughter of Ali Rizvi Khan, an Indian American and Rabiya Amin, a Hindi film actress in the 1980s from Agra, Uttar Pradesh.  Khan grew up in London where she completed her Edexcel O and A Level with a brilliant result of 5 As, before moving to Mumbai to pursue a career in Bollywood.  She has two sisters Kavita and Karishma.  She was inspired to enter Bollywood after watching Ram Gopal Verma's former protege Urmila Matondkar’s movie Rangeela at the age of six.

Khan was a trained opera singer and had recorded six pop tracks by the time she was 17.  Khan studied at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in Manhattan, though she quit upon receiving a movie offer.  She learnt the dance forms of salsa, belly dancing, kathak, lambada, jazz, samba and reggae.

Khan started her acting career as a child actress at the age of nine, when she essayed the role of Young Meghna in the 1998 Mani Ratnam's terror film Dil Se.., in which she starred opposite Shahrukh Khan, Manisha Koirala and Preity Zinta.

In 2004, at the age of 16, Khan was signed to act in Mukesh Bhatt's Tumsa Nahin Dekha but backed out when both she and the director felt the role was too mature for her; she was immediately replaced by Dia Mirza. Two years later, in 2007, at the age of 18, khan made her debut in Ram Gopal Verma's controversial romantic thriller Nishabd, as Jiah, where she acted opposite Amitabh Bachchan. Despite the provocative content in the film, it performed poorly at the box office, and earned mixed reviews from critics.

Nonetheless, Khan received a mostly positive reception for her performance, with critics noting her confidence, attitude, and sex appeal. Raja Sen praised her portrayal of Jia, a seductive, free-spirited teenager, calling her performance "nuanced" and "impressive".  Taran Adarsh agrees, saying that "Newcomer Jiah Khan is supremely confident. Loaded with attitude and sex appeal, the newcomer carries off her part with flourish. Her scenes with Bachchan are superb!"  Rajeev Masand adds that she is "perfectly cast" for the film.  She was also nominated for a Filmfare Best Female Debut Award, however lost to Deepika Padukone.

The following year, she appeared alongside Aamir Khan and Asin in A.R. Murugadoss's psychological thriller Ghajini, the Hindi remake of its namesake. She played Sunita, a medical student who investigates the history of Sanjay Singhania, portrayed by Aamir Khan. The film gathered much appreciation from critics, and went on to become the highest grossing Bollywood film of 2008, as well as earn the all-time blockbuster status.  Khan's performance attracted mixed reviews, with critics agreeing that her role was "sketchy".  Despite this, Sukanya Verma compliments her performance, commenting that Khan "continues to strike as an exquisite and expressive actress."

Khan made her last film appearance in a supporting role as Devika K. Samtani, the ex-wife of Akshay Kumar's character, in Sajid Khan's Housefull also alongside Riteish Deshmukh, Deepika Padukone and Lara Dutta in 2010. Housefull was the second time she appeared in the highest grossing Bollywood film of the year.

In the months before her death, she had signed three South Indian films and one Hindi film Aap Ka Saaya] (Hindi version of Tamil film Yaaradi Nee Mohini).

Death

Khan committed suicide by hanging herself from a ceiling fan at around 11:45 pm in a bedroom of her Juhu residence in Mumbai on Monday, June 3, 2013, when her mother Rabiya and sister Kavita were not at home.

Her body was taken to the casualty morgue at the JJ Hospital in Byculla, for a forensic examination and autopsy.  Her body was then brought back to her residence around 7am on Wednesday, June 5 2013, following the post-mortem.

On the same day her Namaz-e-janaza took place at Sonapur Kabar Walla Masjid and she was buried at Juhu Muslim cemetery after Dhuhr prayer as per Islamic rites. Bollywood actors in attendance included Aamir Khan, Kiran Rao, Riteish Deshmukh, Siddharth Mallya, Sophie Choudry, Urvashi Dholakia, Prem Chopra, Ranjeet, Deepak Parashar, Sanjay Khan and Nagma in attendance.  Bollywood stars reacted with shock at her death.

On June 7, 2013, a six-page suicide note was found by her sister.

The note is reported to indicate that she had planned to end her life. A transcript was released by Khan's family which included mention to a recent abortion.

On June 8, 2013 Khan's condolence meeting was held at Vile Parle Medical Club to pray for Jiah. Bollywood actors in attendance included Aamir Khan, Deepika Padukone, Randhir Kapoor, Prateik Babbar, Sanjay Kapoor, Shweta Pandit, Kiran Rao, Urvashi Dholakia, Ranjeet, Deepak Parashar, Sanjay Khan and Nagma.

Suraj Pancholi, who was allegedly in a live-in relationship with Khan, was taken into custody in association with her suicide on 10 June, 2013.  The Bombay High Court granted him bail on 2 July 2013.

Controversy over Death -Suicide or Murder?

In October 2013, Rabiya Khan filed a petition in the High Court, claiming that her daughter was murdered. “Rabiya feels the investigation was not done properly. If you go by the medical opinion and other evidence, it would indicate something is missing as far as suicide is concerned. Jiah Khan’s case is apparently a case of murder,” Dinesh Tiwari, Ms. Rabiya’s lawyer told a leading News agency.

The Petition read "The Petitioner states that initially they all were in the dark as to what led to her daughter taking drastic step of committing suicide. Until recently the Petitioner thought that her daughter had committed suicide and the Police were really doing their job in the best possible manner. However, after collecting the photograph of the Deceased which were taken on the date of incident and which were not available to the Petitioner until recent past, that she started believing that the Respondent has not only done shoddy investigation but also the present case could be a case of murder of her daughter. However, after being informed by the well wisher of the Deceased and after discovering certain letters and correspondences exchanged by and between the Deceased and the Accused i.e. Mr. Sooraj Pancholi, she was highly shocked to understand that the ill treatment and the continuous harassment and the subsequent betrayal committed by the Accused had lead to death of her daughter, if the case is not of Murder,” read the petition.

Graphic Pictures of Jiah's dead body were released by Rabiya, which clearly indicated some foul play, suggesting that she may have been strangled by a belt and then her body hung from the ceiling fan. Strange marks can be seen around Jiah's neck, the source of which cannot be identified. Also marks were found on her forearm as if it was grasped tightly by someone, to subdue a struggling Jiah. Rabiya Khan has directly pointed fingers at the Pancholi's. The matter is still in court.

Legacy

An upcoming episode of the TV series Yeh Hai Aashiqui will be loosely based on Jiah Khan's suicide, with Mihika Verma and Rithvik Dhanjani playing the central characters.

Monica Dogra perfectly embodies the characters of a seductive beauty, who is not only loved by many but also makes a lasting impression on everyone's mind. Monica Dogra is an American actress of Indian origin. Born on 25th October 1982 in Baltimore, Maryland she is the daughter of immigrants from Kashmir. She was raised in Baltimore, where she completed her schooling from Oakleigh Elementary School and Dulaney High School. She gained her Bachelor's Degree in music from NYU in 2004. She reveals that vocalist Sreetama Ghosh is her main source of inspiration.

She initiated her career by founding the music band "Shaa'ir+Func" with Randolph Correia which comes under the electro-rock genre. The group released its first album in 2007 named "New Day: The Love Album", then "Light Tribe" (2008) and in 2010, "Mantis". In addition, she is also known for singing the song, "Dooriyan Bhi Hai Zaroori", in the 2010 Bollywood film 'Break Ke Baad'.

Her acting career in Bollywood started with a guest appearance in the 2008 film 'Rock On'. In the same year, Aamir Khan's wife Kiran Rao, approached her for a role in her directorial debut called 'Dhobi Ghaat', which she initially rejected, but accepted in the end. In the year 2011, she was seen as a judge in a musical contest 'Never Hide Sounds' by Rolling Stone. Currently she is the host of a TV called 'The Dewarists' which airs on STAR World India.

Next, she will be seen in the film 'David', playing a vital role. It is also announced that she will be working in the film 'Fireflies' too.

Nargis Fakhri (born as Nargis Mohammed A. Fakhri) is an Pakistani American fashion model and actress. She has appeared on America's Next Top Model and made her Bollywood debut with 2011 Imtiaz Ali's Rockstar, and consequently starred as a war correspondent in the 2013 thriller film Madras Cafe, for which she received critical acclaim.

In addition to acting, she is the brand ambassador of Mobilink, a Pakistani network service.

Fakhri was born in Queens, New York to a Pakistani father Mohammed A. Fakhri and a Czech mother Marie A. Fakhri. She also has a sister Aliya Fakhri. According to Fakhri she and her sister Aliya raised as Muslim traditions.  Her parents divorced each other when she was barely six or seven years old.

Fakhri appeared on America's Next Top Model Cycles 2 and 3 in 2004.  She posed for the 2009 Kingfisher Swimsuit Calendar.

In 2011, she made her feature film debut in the musical romantic drama Bollywood film, Rockstar, directed by Imtiaz Ali. She played the female lead role of Heer Kaul, the girl who falls in love with Jordan (played by Ranbir Kapoor), who eventually becomes a famous international artist, but their relationship is obstructed by her marriage and a series of health problems. She ends up breaking his heart and dying whilst pregnant with his child.

The film was a hit, performing well at the box office, however Fakhri's performance received mixed reviews, with some stating that she was overshadowed by Kapoor, but with others branding her as "promising." She received nominations at several award ceremonies, including the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut and the Zee Cine Award for Best Female Debut.

Fakhri is currently signed on for a three film contract with Akshay Kumar's Hari Om Productions.

Fakhri received critical acclaim for her role as a British war correspondent, Jaya Sahni, in Shoojit Sircar's political espionage thriller Madras Cafe, where she featured alongside John Abraham. Her performance was branded "exceptional" by one critic and it was stated that she "strikes the right notes."

Fakhri did extensive research for the role, and was widely appreciated for having come a long way in terms of performance. She made a special appearance in the item number "Dhating Naach" in Phata Poster Nikhla Hero, which was released in September 2013. She is currently filming for Main Tera Hero, a David Dhawan film co-starring Varun Dhawan and Ileana D'Cruz, to be released in April 2014.

She is gifted with a classic name and the international looks! Nargis Fakhri is a Chezo-Pakistani model and Bollywood actress. She was born to American mother and Pakistani father at Queensland on October 20, 1979. Her parents divorced, when she was just six years old. She is an American citizen. Her hobbies include cooking, meditation and yoga.

She started her career being a super-model. She appeared in America's Next Top Model Cycle 2 and 3 in the year 2004. In 2009, she posed in renowned Kingfisher Swimsuit Calendar - which is credited as the launching pad for actresses and models like Deepika Padukone, Katrina Kaif, Lisa Haydon, Bruna Abdullah, Karishma Kotak and many more.

Nargis Fakhri debuted in Bollywood in the year 2011, opposite Ranbir Kapoor in the blockbuster 'Rockstar'. Ranbir and Nargis were awarded as 'The Most Coveted IIFA Hottest Pair of the Year Award', at 13th IIFA award ceremony. Her second movie is Shoojit Sircar's political-thriller 'Madras Cafe', opposite John Abraham, where she is in a prominent role of international reporter.

Her upcoming movies are 'Phata Poster Nikhla Hero', where she will be seen in a cameo role, 'Main Tera Hero', opposite Varun Dhawan and Akshay Kumar starrer remake of the film 'Shaukeen'.

Apart from the world of movies, she is also the adored face of various brands and had walked in number of international fashion shows.

Nguyen Chanh Minh Trí , known under the name of Johnny Tri Nguyen is a stuntman and actor American original Vietnamese .

Born in Binh Duong , Johnny Tri Nguyen left Vietnam at the age of 8 years and moved to Los Angeles in California with his parents, his older brother, Charlie Nguyen and her older sister. His uncle, Nguyen Chanh Tin is a Vietnamese actor.

In 2000, he married the singer, Cathy Viet Thi and had two daughters, Hailey (born 2003) and Taylor (born in 2005). They divorced in 2008.